Lupe Fiasco Defends Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street, the ongoing anti-corporate corruption demonstration taking place in New York’s Zuccotti Park (formerly Liberty Plaza Park) in the city’s financial district, is in it’s 24th day. With no end in sight, the grassroots movement has come under criticism for being leaderless, agenda-less and unorganized. Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco, who has become one of the many celebs who has signed on to raise awareness toward the movement shares another perspective on the protests, wholeheartedly defending its direction.

“OWS does have a leader...the protestors,” Fiasco told BET.com. “The agenda is to bring attention to the power that people have in themselves. The power of self-determination. These things can be alien to the common American citizen because the normal concepts of leadership and protocol are so deeply embedded in monolithic and heavily bureaucratic systems of governance. The historical base of the American democratic reality is that of representation, that is someone who speaks on behalf of everybody else.... The #Occupy movement literally represents an ‘occupation’ of the power structures that make up this society. The most powerful and meaningful of these structures being the will of the people ourselves. We are attempting to get back in the driver's seat and 'represent' ourselves and reinstate the 'real' common good. We are all leaders.”

Since day one, when the first 1,000 leaders responded to the clarion call sent out by Adbusters, a non-profit, anti-consumerist organization that gave OWS its kick start, the movement has gained traction by harnessing the social networking power of Twitter, spawning sit-in protests in other major cities across the country.

Fiasco, who has already donated tents and written a poem titled "Moneyman" in solidarity with the movement, pledges his undying support.

“I plan on supporting the #Occupy movement from now forward in whatever capacity I can,” he said. “In the short term I plan on giving my total focus to both #occupyChicago and #occupyLA but I am making myself available to any and all #Occupy movements no matter the size or circumstance. I hope the #Occupy movement becomes institutional and a permanent fixture of the social and political landscape of America. God willing.”

Fiasco isn't the only celeb stepping up to support the Occupy Wall Street efforts. Talib Kweliplayed OWS last Thursday [October 6] and debuted a new song, "Distractions" about American complacency. "When I see things like Occupy Wall Street, I just try to align myself with things that make sense," Kweli told MTV. "Shame on me if I know something and don't spread it, you know? If I know, it becomes my responsibility to spread the information."

Kanye West and Russell Simmons visited the New York OWS demonstration yesterday [October 10].